MIT researchers have demonstrated how to defend against so-called man-in-the-middle attacks in a breakthrough that could ensure secure communications between mobile phones and medical devices. The researchers have shown how to defend against such attacks while still setting up an automatic connection between two devices, so removing the need for entering a password or using an additional communication mechanism, such as an infrared transmitter, according to MITnews.

In a man-in-the-middle attack, the hacker blocks out the signal from the legitimate device. However, the MIT solution detects the attempted block and ensures the legitimate sender follows the standard transmission of an encryption key with a second group of numbers which take the form of alternating bursts of radiation and silences. “If an attacker tries to substitute his key for the legitimate sender’s, he’ll have to send the corresponding sequence of bursts and silences. But that sequence will differ from the legitimate one,” says MITnews.

 “The cool thing about this work is that it takes some insight from somewhat of a different field….and observes that, hey, if you assume some of these properties about wireless networks, you can actually get stronger guarantees,” says Nickolai Zeldovich, assistant professor of software technology at MIT.

Man-in-the-middle attacks can target connections between devices such as mobile handsets, laptops or tablets and basestations but also between a device and a wireless headset, or a medical implant or wrist-bound monitor. .